Method and device for arbitrating bus grant
AssigneeVIA Technologies, Inc.
InventorJiing Lin
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Abstract
A method for arbitrating a bus grant among a plurality of master devices for access to a shared bus is disclosed. The method includes the steps of starting to accumulatively count time in response to a data transfer request signal outputted by one of the master devices for requesting a data transfer, and re-estimating a bus-utility condition for the one of the master devices to access to the shared bus when a preset threshold value of time is counted up. In addition, an arbiter for a bus grant among a plurality of master devices for access to a shared bus is disclosed. The arbiter is characterized by including a plurality of timer devices in communication with the plurality of master devices, respectively.
Claims17
A method for arbitrating a bus grant among a plurality of master devices for access to a shared bus, comprising the steps of:
- starting to accumulatively count time in response to a data transfer request signal outputted by one of said master devices for requesting a data transfer;
- continuing to count time when a retry signal is issued in response to said data transfer request signal;
- and
- re-estimating a bus-utility condition for said one of said master devices to access to said shared bus when a preset threshold value of time is counted up.
An arbiter for a bus grant among a plurality of master devices for access to a shared bus, characterized by comprising a plurality of timer devices in communication with said plurality of master devices, respectively, wherein said timer devices generate respective time accumulation values in response to data transfer request signals from said master devices corresponding thereto and continue accumulating said respective time accumulation values when respective retry signals are issued in response to said data transfer request signals, and said time accumulation values are referred to for re-estimating bus-utility conditions of said master devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.